swoon...

 being the world's best starter and the world's worst finisher it will come as no surprise that i have started yet another quilt.

to be fair i am on a mission to make a quilt for our bed. i keep thinking i have found the perfect quilt design but then as i get going on it it doesn't seem quite as perfect as i thought so i give up.

i really thought this low volume scrappy trip along above was going to be just right...

...wrong! even though it is low volume there is just too much going on.

the same happened with the + and x quilt below.

way too busy!

it was back to the drawing board but not before i made myself sew up these scrappy and plus blocks into squares big enough to make cosy floor cushions.

now i can relatively guiltlessly get on with the job in hand of making the right quilt and i actually think i am there this time.

i had bought camille's lovely swoon pattern a while ago and had a lightbulb moment of thinking this would be just the right quilt, particularly if i kept it simple.

the first block i made at the top went pretty straight forwardly. i used my 2 favourite fabrics of the moment - architextures' crosshatch in grey and pb&j's raspberry jam in picnic. the background is the crosshatch in white...plain but with a little added interest.

i was really pleased with the result of this first block and started pulling fabrics for the rest of the quilt.  whilst our room has a strong Orla Kiely wallpaper with a shot of chartreusy yellow i initially wanted to keep the quilt neutral.

not according to my sub conscience as before i knew it i'd dragged out some yellows. looks like it was going to have yellow in it after all.

just to make sure yellow was going to work i made up another block. 

nice...

i was liking...

but now i have a dilemma...a big dilemma...

i laid the blocks out on the bed just to see if it was working for me and boom how good do the blocks look as pillow covers??

aaaghhh!

do i stop at these 2 blocks and do something else for the quilt?

but what else would work in this room?

what would you do??

I was led astray today...

I'd been wanting to get Orla Kiely's book Pattern ever since it came out last year, but couldn't justify the £25 price tag, merely just because "I had to have it".

I met up with my good friend, Manda, today for a quick coffee and her beady eye caught site of it in the half price section at Hobbycraft. As she quite rightly said, I'd be crazy not to.

As I always listen to her, I didn't need much persuasion to grab it and pay for it before I could change my mind.

Since buying it I've hardly been able to take my eyes off it.

As you can imagine, being a self-confessed Orla fan, it is music to my senses. It is, as you would expect, every pattern Orla has ever designed, along with fantastic pages of swatch inspirations of all her ranges ever.

I am such a fan of everything Orla (yes, I would be quite happy to be seen driving around in one of her Citroen's) that my children can recognise an Orla design from miles away.

I apologise to anyone out there who may see themselves as the style guru of the 21st Century, but I'm sorry, you are wrong, it is she, Orla, who is the one and only Queen.

I haven't had chance to read all the interesting prose behind the Lady, but have dipped in and am mesmerised and can't wait to read from cover to cover. This isn't just a picture book.

Besides all the incredible photographs in here from swatch choices to billboard adverts to blogs depicting Orla usage in our own homes, this picture below drew most attention in our house, with comments of "Mummy, wants that one. No, she wants that one. But she's already got that one."

Whichever one that one is, there is always room for one more Orla bag.

Personally that one more would be the grey and blue, top left.

Which one would you choose?

And if you don't already have this book in your possession, i can not instil strongly enough the need to find a friend to lead you astray and acquire it pronto.

With Orla constantly around me and being my biggest source of inspiration these days, is it any wonder that my latest little girl's bag has turned out quite the way it has? I like to think of it as my Orla for Kids Bag.

It has a strap large enough for a little one (or a bigger little one) to wear over one shoulder as an across the body bag. If a certain model had been in the mood for showing how this looks, then I would have been able to illustrate the point. But let's put it this way - never rely on kids for anything.

The bag is fully lined in my favourite of the moment crisp fresh green stripy shirting fabric.

I've also inserted a zip to keep everything in it safe and secure.

This is the first of a new style of bag for me and whilst it took me a while to work out the best way to design this zipped bag with a flapped front (I'm sure there's better terminology for that), now that I have, you'll be seeing a few different versions of this. Particularly if that afore-mentioned model gets her requested designs approved and produced.

Not that she deserves it, mind.

Ooh, I wonder what this could be...

Only my, I mean our, belated Anniversary present from my Mum and Dad. Mum knows my love for Orla, along with my love for a red and blue combo, so was lovely enough to give them to me, I mean us.

Are they not the most beautiful tableware that you have ever seen? I adore the usual simplistic design we know and love from Orla. And the retro design of the pieces themselves are oozing with charm.

I love the teapot and I know I, sorry, sorry, WE will use it and get pleasure from it every day, but it's the butter dish that I am truly in love with. The retro shape is just delightful and the chunkiness of the lid is such a joy to hold (Karen, for goodness sake it's a butter dish).

All that's missing now is a couple of these to complete the look...

wordless Wednesday

relaxing, unwinding and taking it easy...

...well almost wordless...

A while ago now the lovely ladies at Saints and Pinners sent me a pack of the Warm & Natural Batting they are now stocking. I love this batting and have been using it for a while now and was delighted when Jo and Fran started to stock it. If you haven't come across this before you really should head right over to their shop and grab some.

It is exactly what it says on the label - Warm and Natural.

It's not a heavy batting which, in my eyes, makes it ideal for an array of projects, from quilting to oven mitts to wall art to table mats. It is warm and cosy enough to be used for throws and padded enough for those items that need a little cushioning, without it being overly weighty.

I've been itching to use it for a project but with everything else going on have only just managed to do so.

I'm off to London next week and was in need of a protective case for my Macbook and decided that this batting would work perfectly.

I had a little bit of time this morning (actually I MADE a bit of time this morning, otherwise there wouldn't be another opportunity before my trip) so I got started.

I love whipping something up for myself, partly because it hardly ever happens and partly because it's a good excuse to rummage through my fabrics.

Initial rummage got me to select the above blues and reds and whilst I really love them, they were stronger than I wanted for this particular item. I have however placed them to one side to make a cushion for my studio.

Second rummage gave me more of a look I was after. No great surprises in this selection I think you'll agree - obligatory Social Climber, Kei Grey Dots, a little hand printed pieces, some linen, along with several other faves. Maybe I'm getting boring or maybe I know what works for me.

After I'd pieced together the patchwork front, I quilted this with a layer of the batting and stitched across all the squares. I then stitched a piece of batting in place with the back piece. All super quick and easy. Super cute spotty lining and handles in place, oh and the addition of my favourite vintage braiding and less than an hour later I'm all set and ready to hit The Big Smoke.

The batting is absolutely perfect for this project. The tote has protection without me feeling I'm lugging some weighty, bulky accessory around.

I even managed to keep to my resolution with this project, as not only did I use some of my all time favourites, but incorporated some of the newer stash, the striped linen and the black speckle, which has just arrived from Cottonpatch. I think both of these are destined to be classed as all time favourites too.

How are your holidays going? We are having a grand old time and doing a bit of everything. Seeing family, seeing friends, going out on family outings, just the 5 of us, eating well, drinking well, sleeping late...

...and getting in some crafting.

I made a conscious effort last week of choosing a crafting project to do over the holidays that wouldn't keep me away from my family (I knew there was no point saying I would do NO crafting - I could NEVER have kept to that)

I'd used up what wool I had bought for the grey cushion on Day 1, so I had to think up a new plan.

I've been staring at the canvas I've been wanting to recover for the past however many weeks and have been ignoring it as I've been too busy to do anything with it. I'd had it in my mind that I'd tackle it more fervently over the holidays. The way the original idea was heading wasn't conducive to hanging out with everyone and also, the more I looked at it, the more I didn't like how it was developing.

So a quick U-turn has resulted on it going in a completely different tack...

...Hexies...lots and lots and LOTS of hexies! I still haven't decided quite how many colours are going to be incorporated and whether it will be all hexies or a mixture of some other design.

But in the meantime, I'm getting my crafting time in, I'm doing a specific project that needed addressing and what's more, I'm not missing out on hanging out with everyone.

I hope you are having as much fun this holiday and managing to tick all the boxes.

Not only are December and Christmas creeping upon us oh too quickly, we are just one sleep away from Chanukah. Chanukah fluctuates every year, as the Hebrew calendar is lunar. December 1st is the earliest it ever is and it throws me every time it is this early. We are all geared up commercially for Christmas and when Chanukah comes 24 days earlier, it's more than I can manage. We don't celebrate Christmas so you would think it wouldn't matter. But, it's there everywhere and also, obviously, my business is centred around Christmas.

So now I'm panicking. I did a big Amazon shop last night (thank goodness for Amazon) and

fortunately I got an early start with some of my handmade gifts, but I still have the Poppy Doll to do for Ruby.

All the family are coming over to us for candles, presents and dinner on Friday and whilst we normally only buy the children gifts at Chanukah, I wanted to give each of the ladies a gift - a gift FOR the ladies, but for the men to USE, obviously...

I've made each of them a pretty tea towel to match each of their kitchens. The pink one above is my Mum's. She has the prettiest palest pink kitchen.

This yellow one isn't actually for anyone, but how I could sew something and not do a yellow and grey version? It will however be in my Etsy shop, along with several others very shortly.

Can you guess who this one below is for?

I'm feeling a little more relaxed and prepared now that I have these made.

But no relaxing just yet...it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow too...and I haven't done a darn thing about that...

I started working on some blocks that I was planning to use with the Orla Car patch I began the other day. I began by sewing together long rows of fabric, but I wasn't overly keen on how it was working out so I cut them into these strips.

I'm liking them alot better like this and have a few ideas buzzing around as to how I now want to use them. But, uncharacteristically, I am going to leave them on the side for a few days and be sure of what I want to do with them. I have about 5 ideas all at once for them and have a feeling they may become a theme for new work...watch this space.

In the meantime I had to get back on track with the Car Cushion. I decided to continue on the Log Cabin style that I'd started, with an added sashiko stitching around.

I have backed it in linen with an envelope opening, in a style that I normally use for my cushion covers. I like this style. Is it because I'm too lazy to do zips? Or simply that I like them this way? I like to think it's the latter...

There are going to be a fair few of these, but if you want to grab this first one, it's right here...

I am now the proud owner of this...

I have been after an Orla bag for aeons (What? You didn't know I liked Orla?) but could never justify the price tag and so have been on the lookout for one on Ebay.

There are always plenty on Ebay, but typically the ones I like always go for way over what seems to be a respectable price for a second hand bag. Also, I was pretty sure that once I had possession of one I would be wearing it to death and was consequently on the lookout for one that had one careful lady owner.

When I looked again this weekend, there it was, the style that I was most after and apparently only worn once.

Bid entered and I sat back and waited.

And as if by magic, or maybe everyone else was sunning themselves in St Lucia over half term so weren't around to bid for Orla bags on Ebay, the bid entered and I'd won!

Two days later the bag is in my possession and forever by my side. And the description of worn only once was so true as this bag is as good as new.

For the time being anyway.

And whilst on the subject of Orla (am I boring you now?), having bought some of this gorgeous Car fabric that Manda was selling, I will leave you with a little snippet of a cushion I am in the middle of making.

If you wandered into my studio it would be fair for you to think I had been ransacked and invaded by the most violent of intruders. Unfortunately the only intruder around here is me.

I have to admit I have a very messy approach to my creativity. The pile you see below is off-cuts from projects. As I cut and sew I discard the pieces that are too big to be thrown, yet too small to be refolded and put back away.

There's a smaller pile that sits on my desk. These days, with my love of log cabins, this pile is full of strips. There is something quite therapeutic about this little pile. And they have obviously been inspiring me somewhat, because having stared at them for a few days, I realised they were the answer to some much needed wall art for our new bedroom.

I've never decorated in these colours before, so any art we previously had up somehow doesn't look great in this room. Not that a room has to look clinically coordinated. But you wouldn't want to see anything too clashing would you?

So I set to work with my precious off-cuts and in a very short time later had a new piece of art for the room. The question now is, do I put it on the wallpaper wall or bring it over to the other side of the room, on the grey?

I'm leaning towards the grey...I think...

We are just 2 weeks away from one of the biggest events in our little family's life... Sam's Bar Mitzvah is scarily close. As a Jewish Mother, I knew 13 years ago that we would one day be here. But come on, 13 years is a long time. it shouldn't be here yet, should it?

Apparently it is. On the one hand I am excited beyond belief. Sam has worked incredibly hard over the last year to learn all he needs to learn and be ready for this big coming of age ceremony. And to be at a milestone that I have watched in awe of others doing their Bar Mitzvahs, is quite mind-blowing, let me tell you.

On the other hand I am completely overwhelmed by how much has to be done. Whilst Sam has been in charge of the religious side, someone round here has had to get going on the celebrations. I've never tackled anything quite so big...Friday night dinner for the immediate family...Saturday lunch for 50 extended family...a party for 70 close friends Saturday night... oh and the big shebang of 200 on Sunday night. Whilst I personally am not cooking, there is still plenty to do.

And as we well know, I am not going to be buying any decorations or hire someone else to do it for me. What's the point in being crafty if you can't get immerse yourself in something like this? (My sister-in-law did put me in my place when I suggested making Whoopie Pies for 70 on Saturday night)

Even though I have had 13 years to get ready for this, I am just beginning to get going on all the finer details. 2 weeks? Plenty of time! I've been collecting ideas over the last few months and having found this great little tutorial for paper lanterns from here via here, I started to give them a go.

How fab are they? And what a great use of my oodles of left over Orla wallpaper. I can see them in glass bowls on the table, strewn with ribbon over EVERYWHERE and laid in rows in other places. I have grand ideas for these little babies in all sorts of different designs.

The next 2 weeks is going to be pretty full on so I may disappear for a little while. If you don't see me around much, I may well be found under a pile of papers, lists, decorations...